SEND provision
SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) provision has been one of my main priorities since I was elected, supporting parents with individual pieces of casework, campaigning for the Selby SEND school and trying to assist with the lengthy process of obtaining and implementing an EHCP. If I can offer any specific support to you and your family, please let me know.
SEND provision
The provision of adequate education and support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities is a critical issue for many families in our community and the current situation is dire. There is no specialist provision and lots of children with SEND are currently out of school because, after fourteen years of Conservative failure, mainstream schools are not properly equipped to support their learning needs.
SEND provision has been one of my main priorities since I was elected, supporting parents with individual pieces of casework, campaigning for the Selby SEND school and trying to assist with the lengthy process of obtaining and implementing an EHCP.
So far, I have:
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Made the Selby SEND school a key campaign commitment.
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Assisted over 150 families’ cases, provided bespoke support for those struggling with the local authority.
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Raised the issue 7 times in the House of Commons chamber.
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Met with North Yorkshire Council regularly to discuss funding for the SEND school.
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Met with the CEO of Wellspring Academy Trust, who are in charge of the SEND school.
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Visited every state secondary school in the constituency, held virtual roundtables with local schools and met with school leaders at primary and secondary schools to understand more about the challenges of SEN provision in mainstream education.
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Met regularly with the Department for Education to highlight the key challenges that local children, parents and schools face with SEND.
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Voted for a Budget which delivered over £1bn in additional support for SEND in Westminster.
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Written to the Education Secretary asking for an urgent update on the school's progress.
Latest outcomes:
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The Schools Minister confirmed that the Selby SEND School will be going ahead.
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Four new Targeted Mainstream Provision arrangements have been created in our area.
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The Labour Government has restructured the Department for Education to put SEND at its heart, secured a £1 billion injection into services, invested £740m to create more specialist places and brought in expert advisers to inform our work pending whole-system reform. While this funding is a positive step, I’m aware that North Yorkshire’s allocation remains relatively low, and I am working to ensure that our area receives its fair share.
Next steps:
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Construction on the SEND school has now started
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The Government is currently devising reforms to the EHCP process.
Fighting for the Selby SEND School remains my top priority. I fought for it when the last government was in power, and I will continue to do so now. The difference is we now have a Government committed to fighting for SEND children.
I will keep pushing to make sure this school is built as quickly as possible while continuing to advocate for over 150 SEND families through my office so that every child across our area gets the high-quality education they deserve.
As ever, if I can offer any specific support to you and your family, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
